WRI Insights

Almost half of the world’s original forests have been cleared or degraded. So naturally, most people think of the “forest restoration” movement as an effort to re-plant these lost trees. But it’s time to see restoration as more than just the trees.

As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prepares to release [greenhouse gas standards](https://archive.epa.gov/epa/cleanpowerplan/carbon-pollution-standards-new-modified-and-reconstructed-power-plants-regulatory.html) for existing power plants on June 2, state officials are weighing options on the best ways to cut carbon dioxide emissions. We have shown how some states may be able to comply with [these standards](http://www.wri.org/power-sector-opportunities-reducing-carbon-dioxide-emissions).

Arkansas has already taken steps to reduce its near-term power sector CO2 emissions by implementing energy efficiency policies. And the state has the opportunity to go even further. **In fact, new WRI analysis finds that Arkansas can reduce its CO2 emissions 39 percent below 2011 levels by 2020 by implementing new clean energy strategies and taking advantage of existing infrastructure.** Achieving these reductions will allow Arkansas to meet moderately ambitious EPA power plant emissions standards, which are due to be finalized in 2015.

WRI’s six-part blog series, Mobilizing Clean Energy Finance, highlights individual developing countries’ experiences in scaling up investments in clean energy and explores the role climate finance plays in addressing investment barriers. The cases draw on WRI’s recent report, [Mobilizing Climate Investment](http://www.wri.org/publication/mobilizing-climate-investment). South Africa’s experiences with wind energy provide an [important case study](http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/uploads/WRI_Report_4c_MCI_Annex2_SouthAfrica_online.pdf) for policy makers pursuing renewable energy deployment in other countries.

Rapidly declining natural systems are bad news for business. There is a two-way street between the economy and the environment: Businesses damage the environment, and the damaged environment then creates risks to the bottom lines of businesses. Three reasons explain why investors should include [sustainability](http://www.theguardian.com/guardian-professional/sustainability) considerations in their decisions, and why doing so is compatible with fiduciary responsibility.

Officials meeting in Songdo, Korea have had intense discussions on the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which will become the main vehicle for securing and delivering money to help developing nations mitigate and adapt to climate change. WRI offers 5 do’s and don’ts to help Green Climate Fund members create policies that can mobilize the level of finance needed to address the future of climate finance and international climate action.

In India, Tamil Nadu Electricity Governance Initiative (TEGI)—a network of consumer and civil society groups—has been using the [Electricity Governance Initiative’s](http://electricitygovernance.wri.org/projects) new tool, [*10 Questions to Ask About Integrated Resources Planning*](http://www.wri.org/publication/10-questions-integrated-resource-planning), to evaluate the state’s current planning approach and understand how it can be improved. This tool was designed to help make decision-making processes more transparent and enable greater engagement in the electricity sector. To date, TEGI’s work provides a good example of how this tool can be used to start putting Integrated Resources Planning (IRP) principles into practice.

The Green Climate Fund is holding its 7th Board meeting in Songdo, Korea this week. One of the most difficult questions that the GCF Board will grapple with is how entities will become “accredited” to receive GCF funds to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change.

When the IPCC released its [Fifth Assessment Report](http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/) earlier this spring, its message was clear: We must do much more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to [keep below 2 °C and limit climate change’s impacts](http://www.wri.org/blog/visualizing-global-carbon-budget). By presenting the current science, impacts, and options for addressing climate change, the IPCC has laid the groundwork for governments and the private sector to start taking more ambitious action. The next step for companies is to [align their own plans](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/11/greater-expectations-3-actions-companies-take-climate-policy) with larger climate goals.

While investment from more developed countries has remained about the same in recent years, China’s flows to Africa have increased significantly, fueling excitement about development and concern about the effects on the environment and communities. As China’s impact increases, it can take steps now to make sure it sets a new standard for responsible lending and investment in Africa.